There are three general categories of being a shit: those who react without thinking and are out of touch with the effects of their actions on others, those who believe their own concoctions and dismiss the effects of their actions, and, those who know exactly what they are doing and enjoy themselves while doing so. Each of these three types has a better chance of success when social customs and traditions justify their behaviors.
Type 1: Reactors
Despite humanity’s long acquaintance, we know little about being a shit. Those who misunderstand the true nature of their actions cannot enlighten because they react without thinking. They are unable to report to others why they behave as they do because they have no thoughts to report. Self-focused and clueless about the effects of their behaviors, they show little caring and empathy for the recipients of their unkind deeds. Finally, they have no sense of humor.
When their unkind deeds come to light, their spontaneous responses are blunt, blaming, and loud. They are incapable of insight into their wrong-doings and would sell out their mothers rather than admit they did something wrong.
These are Type 1 enactments of being a shit and the persons who act them out are Reactors. Reactors are the most spontaneous, least reflective, and least skilled of the enactors of being a shit, and, yet, they could be the most common.
Type 2: True Believers
Those who believe their own concoctions represent the second type. They may explain their behaviors at length, but their explanations are distorted and untrustworthy. As a result, they cannot contribute to a theory of being a shit because from their perspectives the meanings and import of their conduct are self evident. They have no empathy for those they hurt by their unkind deeds. They gleefully mock others and mistake mockery for good-natured humor. They are willing captives of their own perspectives.
When recipients object to their unkind deeds and cover-ups, a favored response is dismissive: “You’re too sensitive.” “Where’s your sense of humor?” “I was only kidding.” Other typical responses are indignation and even outrage. Their incapacities to see the points of view of others and their intolerance of alternative explanations confuse those who take them seriously.
Unlike Reactors who have few or no reasons for why they do what they do, this second type of enactor has explanations that are logical to them, but, when viewed with a clear eye, their explanations are partial and distorted. Therefore, they, too, cannot shed light on the true nature of their behaviors and cannot contribute to a theory of being a shit. These are Type 2 enactments and those who act this way are True Believers.
Type 3: Clever Foxes
The third type are those who know exactly what they are doing and enjoy themselves while doing so. They will not contribute to a theory of being a shit because they do not want to give up the pleasures, joys, and other advantages that they gain from their unkind deeds and cover-ups. They have well-developed skills for humor, irony, bluffing, bullshit, obfuscation, prevarication,[1] and other higher order talents.
They have a special type of empathy in that they can spot the vulnerabilities of others, but instead of sympathizing, they take advantage for their own gain. These enactors are more complex and, some may say, more interesting than True Believers and Reactors whose strategies are typically the in-your-face style. This third style is called the Clever Fox.
[1] These are lies, or statements that can have more than one meaning, such as I never had sex with that woman, with the speaker defining sex as sexual intercourse” and the audience defining sex as “sexual touching” such as mouth—to-penis contact
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